It’s a treat to see wildlife up close. But if a wild one wants to make friends, keep your distance.

Occasionally, wild animals have little fear of us. However, with too much human interaction, wild animals can become habituated to people. Come mating season, this can result in aggressive interactions.

If wild animals get used to eating human food, they can become dangerous trying to get what they want. This food conditioning, as it’s called, can also interfere with a wild animal’s nutrition and its own natural hunting and foraging skills.

Wild animals can also get sick if they get close enough to people or pets to catch diseases. It goes both ways, too. Wild animals can pass infections on to us or our pets.

So, keep your distance from wildlife. A healthy dose of caution can be the best protection for everyone.